How Paul Massey helped organise the 'only IRA funeral ever held on the UK mainland'

Salford’s ‘Mr Big’ Paul Massey was a pallbearer at the uniquely paramilitary funeral of former IRA member Kevin ‘Tiny’ Donaghey in Bury. The funeral included men in balaclavas, an Irish tricolour, and notable items like a Scarface picture and a provisional volunteer handbook in Donaghey’s coffin. Photographer Brian Anderson captured the event, having received a last-minute call from Massey, who he respected and considered kind. Anderson detailed the surreal experience of photographing the only known paramilitary funeral on the UK mainland, where a gun was shot over the coffin before being buried with Donaghey. Through his connections with Massey, Anderson gained insight into Manchester’s notorious gangsters. His book, “Shooting the Mob,” reflects on his time navigating the world of crime photography—an intriguing yet precarious field.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News